Never Ever Land
by Yato
Summary: Marinette, a broke college student barely able to pay her tuition, discovers a secret world of magic. Participating in an underground fight club under the alias of "Miraculous Ladybug", Marinette meets the reigning champion, Chat Noir. Put off by his cocky attitude, Marinette resists his charm but how long can she last? "My lady, do you know what's on the menu tonight? Me-n-u " AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: THIS IS AN AU AND THE STORY TAKES PLACE IN NYC**

Only the sound of rain pelting against the cement broke the solemn silence that hung over the campus. A lone figure sat alone at a bench situated outside of the financial building, her shoulders abruptly rising up and down at a capricious rhythm.

Sniffling, she raised her head to catch a glimpse of the gray, cloudy sky. The rain drops masked her tears, and for that, she was thankful.

She bit her lip and balled up her fists, leaving imprints of her fingernails on her palms. Why was she so incompetent? Or rather, why was she plagued with such bad luck?

The scene that just unfolded moments ago cascaded through her mind, causing more tears to stream down her face.

 _"I'm sorry Ms. Dupain-Cheng, but your Presidential Scholarship has been revoked."_

Her parents already had to take out loans, and barely managed to pay the remaining fees. Her scholarship paid $20,000 each year, where was that extra money going to come from?

She was far too altruistic for her own good. She missed the final examination for one of her classes, which took a tremendous toll on her final grade. She saved an elderly man from getting run over. She offered to accompany him to the hospital due to the minor injuries he suffered.

Even so, she didn't regret it. Money could never outweigh a life.

Shivering, she propped up her legs and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. What could she do? A part-time job could be of help, but if she receives another bad grade it could mean expulsion.

The freezing rain continued to caress her figure. Sighing, she closed her eyes and silently cried.

The rain stopped. A pair of sharp green eyes caught Marinette's attention, accompanied with a deep, husky voice. "Excuse me? You shouldn't be out in the rain like this." His voice swelled with worry as he stooped over to get a better look at her.

Wiping her tears away, she offered a smile, but her quivering lip and glossy eyes gave it away. The boy looked away, ruffling his blond hair. He didn't know what do. His eyes traced over the paper she gripped in her hands. 'Academic Probation' written in all red caught his eye.

He wasn't one to have intrapersonal skills and for a moment he pondered. The girl stared at him, her cerulean eyes brimming with tears. Not a second later, her gaze was glued to the ground. How could she let someone else see her like this?

The blond propped his umbrella up against the back of the bench, shielding the girl from the rain, but soaking himself in the process. "Long ago, inside a distant memory, there is a voice that says 'Do you believe a world of happy endings?' Even when the road seems long, every breath you take will lead you closer to a special place within your Never Ever Land"

Wrapping his arms around her tiny frame, he held her close, feeling her heartbeat resonate with his own. They stood there perpetually, as she wept in his arms as loud as she wanted. The rain masked her wailing, and for that, she was grateful.

"Adrien, let's GO!" An obnoxious voice called.

"What's your name?" Adrien asked as he slowly pulled away from the hug and looked into her eyes.

"Marinette."

A smile spread across his face as he pressed his lips against her forehead. "I believe in you, Marinette." He gripped her hand, running a thumb over her knuckles. He stood up and waved, before running away, disappearing into the parking lot.

Marinette peered at his umbrella and then at her Academic Probation letter. One final tear rolled down her cheek as she crumpled up the letter. Grabbing the umbrella, she rose off the bench. A bittersweet smile tugged at her lips.

The boy had encouraged her, and for that, she was indebted.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading. If you'd like me to continue please leave a review. Please offer feedback. Thanks! Next chapter, Marinette discovers her powers.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Have you paid your housing deposit?"

Marinette slammed her head against the table, groaning at the thought of giving this damn college even more money.

"No," Marinette rested her cheek against the table, glancing up at a young lady with thick, curly, red hair and black glasses. "But after I get paid this week, I will!" The ginger shot her a worried look.

"Marinette if you need the extra money, I'd be glad to help."

"No, no Alya. You're saving up for a car." Marinette said as she lifted her head, feigning a smile for her best friend. "Don't worry about it."

She lied. There was plenty to worry about. She hasn't gone out in weeks, midterms were approaching, and she had to pay a stupid deposit of a hundred dollars to guarantee housing next year. She sighed as she slumped in her seat.

But the absolute worst thing was _him_. He had to be attending the college right? He was wearing school apparel for goodness sake. Or…what if he was just on some tour and is still a high school student? Weeks had passed since her encounter with the blond boy, and she couldn't stop thinking about him.

Crossing her arms, Alya released a groan, fully aware of what was going to happen next.

3,2,1.

"Adrien has the most gorgeous eyes. Oh! He's a great hugger too. And his voice, oh my god- "

* * *

Okay, so she lied again. She sees Adrien in her dreams so she can wait a little longer before they bump into each other again. The absolute worst thing about her life right now was a box. It doesn't sound so bad, right? Yeah, well this box _glows_. Crazy shit, huh?

A small black box sat on her desk. An intricate gold design decorated the top of it. Marinette grazed the box with her index finger, quickly retracting her hand when it started emitting a dim, red glow.

She puffed out her cheeks. "You know what?" She balled up her fists and breathed out. "I'm gonna open it and get this over with." This darn thing haunted her for the last month and she would have no more of it. Why do you look confused, don't you talk to and motivate yourself?

Flipping the box open, she masked her face with a hand due to the bright flash of the box. Peeking between the gaps in her fingers, she peered in.

"Earrings? All this anxiety for earrings?"

A pair of black earrings laid in the middle of the box. Scooping them up, Marinette shrugged and leaned in towards the mirror. A small gasp escaped her lips as the jewelry slowly turned red, the black shrinking into polka dots.

She blinked several times, her gaze switching between herself and the earrings in the mirror. "These must be like those mood rings…" She tried to assure herself and it actually worked for a second.

If only she weren't blinded by another flash of light.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" A high pitched, chaste voice called. "You have been chosen to be this generation's wielder of the Ladybug Miraculous."

Opening her eyes, Marinette searched the room for the source of the voice. Finding no one, she frowned as she scrutinized the endless white room she had been transported to.

"Uh, who are you?"

"I am Tikki, Kwami of the Ladybug Miraculous."

"Kwami?"

"Like a sprite or fairy."

"And what's a Miraculous?"

"Magical jewels that grant the user powerful abilities based on an animal."

"Ah, thank you for explaining…" Marinette smiled as she glanced upwards. "I'd like to wake up now, if that's fine with you."

She felt a sharp pinch on her cheek. "You're not dreaming, Marinette."

"How'd you do that?" Rubbing her cheek, Marinette pouted and glared about the room, searching for this so called fairy.

Giggling echoed throughout the seemingly white perpetual room. "I can see your heart is pure. The Guardian made a good choice."

Marinette lightly slapped herself, failing to believe any of this was real. Her cheeks flushed pink as the room filled with silence. This sprite thing was judging her, wasn't it? "Er, so what am I supposed to do with this ladybug thing?"

"We sense dark times ahead. You have been tasked with protecting the world- "

Her eyes widened. What was this some TV show? "As much as I'd like to, I can't."

"I understand you're having financial issues at the moment. This miraculous can help with that."

Marinette had a bad feeling about this, but this was only a dream, right? What could possibly go wrong?

* * *

Everything.

Everything could go wrong. First of all, she was wearing red spandex body suit with polka dots. Then she was transported to only god knows where! Raising her eyebrows, Marinette gasped at the sight. Hundreds of people were seated in an arena of some sort. The crowd watched the field with hungry eyes.

The field was nothing but a huge checkered floor, which confused Marinette. Why was everyone so hyped up?

"Tikki, where is this?"

"Never Ever Land. A place where magical beings can fight for fun and train their skills."

"This doesn't seem like me…"

"There are cash prizes."

A coy smile tugged at Marinette's lips just as she was about to ask another question. Cutting her off, a voice boomed throughout the stadium, "Next up, we have Mr. Copycat versus Chat Noir! I wonder how this is gonna turn out."

The crowd roared at the mention of Chat's name as applause filled the stadium. He wore a tight leather suit with an obviously fake tail. A mask hid his true identity. His haunting green eyes contrasted greatly with his black mask.

"It's going to turn out like the rest of my matches; absolutely purr-fect." He said, his cat ears twitching.

Groaning, the audience booed Chat for his horrible pun. The boy only smirked in return, knowing it was a good one.

Marinette's eyebrows knitted together as she studied him. Her heart fluttered upon seeing him but only for a second. But why?

The commentator's voice filled the stadium once more. "Tonight, we have something a little different. Each tile in the arena will trigger a trap when stepped upon. Once the trap has been set off, the tile will then fall down. So the longer the match goes on, the harder it'll be to stand your ground. Last person to remain standing wins!"

Copycat nodded as a smile graced his lips before transforming into a replica of his opponent.

"Any last words before we begin?"

Copycat shook his head and stared at Chat. Grinning, Chat stared into the audience before saying, "I'd like my fangirls to root for my victory." Marinette gagged, who did he think he was? Chat scanned the audience before locking eyes with Marinette. She briefly glanced back, wondering if he was actually staring at her. Could he read minds?

He simply winked at her.

"I'm in."

"Hmm?" Tikki's tone swelled with confusion. "Why the sudden interest?"

Marinette glowered at the black cat as she folded her arms. "For some reason, I just really wanna kick his ass."

* * *

 **A/N: ugh idk why this was so hard to write. I think there is too much dialogue in this chapter and not enough narration which is a pet peeve of mine. I figured you guys wouldn't care too much about the explanation ya know? lol**


	3. Chapter 3

Chat's smirk immediately dropped at the sight of a female who scowled at him. This was unheard of, girls usually swooned over him. Within a matter of seconds, he shrugged it off and went to his position on the far side of the arena, opposite of his opponent.

As the crowd counted down in anticipation Copycat morphed into Chat's doppelganger, shooting the true black cat a coy smile.

"Match start!" The announcer boomed into his mic. The two fighters glanced at their feet as the tiles beneath them began to glow. Whipping out his staff, Chat latched onto his signature weapon and propelled himself towards another tile. Within a blink of an eye, spikes shot out of the tile he was on seconds before.

"Meowtch." Chat whispered, wincing at the thought of being impaled. Quickly, redirecting his attention on the task at hand, he glimpsed at Copycat who was making his way towards the center of the arena.

Chat clenched his fist, forming dark energy around his hand. Thrusting himself in the air once more, he opened his hand, revealing a black ball of malicious intent. Hurdling the ball towards Copycat's half of the arena, Chat smirked as the ball split off into a dozen pieces, each destroying a tile.

The black cat was pleased with himself until Copycat used his doppelganger staff to fly over to safety. The copycat shouldn't take his ideas; he should make up his own!

Chat's inner whining momentarily distracted him, making him oblivious to the glowing tile. A strong gust of wind pushed him upwards, hundreds of feet above the ground. How'd they make these crazy stadiums?

Copycat sprinted, stepping on all tiles surrounding Chat's former tile. Chat tossed a glare at Copycat when he shot him a cheeky grin. Is that what he looked like when kicking his opponent's asses? They must get so angry.

Anxiety swelled in his chest a gust of wind, twice as strong as the first pushed him down. He hated heights, but you know what they say. "Cats always land on their feet." Chat grunted as he fell through the holes in the arena.

"Did our champion just lose his first match?" The announcer questioned, the audience gasped and some fan girls even teared up. Marinette sat on the edge of her seat. It's not as if she wanted him to win, she just wanted to be the one to beat him.

Seconds passed by like hours as everyone stared into the bottomless pit, awaiting Chat's return. Meanwhile Copycat was too busy dodging traps and cursing the announcer in his head for not declaring him the winner yet.

The crowd grew more dejected as Marinette perked up. But alas, Chat shot out of the darkness, sitting atop his staff. "Geez, whoever designs these stages deserves a raise." Chat muttered as he watched Copycat step on the last tile and fall to his doom.

"Chat Noir is the winner once again! Congratulations. Uh, can someone go get Copycat?"

The crowd hopped to their feet and stomped against the floor, causing the stadium to thunder as they chanted Chat's name. Chat waved to the crowd before bowing. "I'll be in the back to sign autographs." He glanced at Marinette once more only to be greeted by an eye roll. She was really hurting his ego.

Tykki, who nestled herself in Marinette's hair at some point during the match, pulled a strand of hair to capture her attention. "We have to get you registered so you can fight too." Tykki's enthusiastic tone turned into a wary one by the end of her sentence. "But first," Tykki waved her tiny hand, causing her black spots to disappear. The spots on Marinette's suit disappeared too, causing a perplexed expression to wash over her face. "Okay, now we can go!"

"So glad you'd like to join us here in Never Ever land. I'm Papillion." A masked man dressed in a suit said while sitting behind a desk. The air was thick with tension and Marinette couldn't help the foreboding feeling swarming around in the pits of her stomach. "May I ask what your powers are?"

"Powers?"

"Would you happen to have a Miraculous by any chance?" His once partially welcoming eyes became cold, steel, and calculating. Her heart skipped several beats before she opened her mouth. Her throat went dry in fear.

This time Tykki opted to hide underneath her hair. She whispered, "Say, you have no idea what a miraculous is and your power is material construction."

Marinette did just that, she repeated the words verbatim.

"Ah that's an interesting ability." Papillion sat back in his chair, his gaze and tone reverting back to warm and welcoming. "What would you like your title to be?"

"Uh, Well I sorta just wanted to go with Ladybug since those are my favorite bugs…" At this, the man's eyes narrowed for a split second, sending chills down Marinette's spine. "But you just gave me an idea, Miraculous Ladybug sounds wonderful." Marinette said as she feigned a smile.

"Alright, Ms. Miraculous. I'll sign you up for the newcomer's tournament then, is that fine?"

"Yes, thank you Papillion."

"Good, I'll send you all important documents and files at a later date. See you."

Marinette offered another fake smile as she left the intimidating man's office. A sigh escaped her lips as her shoulders slouched. That butterfly guy gave her way too many bad vibes. "Marinette, you can't relax yet." Tykki giggled. Marinette simply kissed her teeth, wondering what was next.

"So you wanted an autograph after all." Chat sauntered over to her, wiggling his eyebrows, his leather tail swaying back and forth. Cue another eye roll from Marinette.

Exhaling heavily, Marinette said "I don't know if you noticed, but you came to me." A frown adorned her face as she glared at Chat, whose grin only grew larger and larger by the second. "So, what do you want?"

Chat purred as he gently gripped her hand, eyes glimmering. "Well I've never seen such a pretty face around here before. Just wanted to welcome you to my humble abode."

"Uh, I'm pretty sure I just spoke with the one who's in charge here. And that wasn't you." Frowning, Marinette sunk her shoulders. Sure, he was the champion or whatever but he didn't have to act all that. It was overkill

"You…spoke with Papillion?" Chat's voice became thick with venom and his once glimmering eyes grew dull as they bore into the floor. Worried, Marinette snatched her hand away from his grip and took several steps backward until she hit the wall. "Just be careful, okay?"

Chat glanced up, he had impaled her with fear. He chuckled lightly, "Wouldn't want anyone else laying a finger on someone as purr-cious as you."

"Please, stop with the puns." They were growing more and more unbearable by the second. "And I'd prefer it if we never interact again unless it's in the arena."

Chat whistled as his ears twitched in excitement. "You think you can beat the best of the best, huh? Well I look forward to it." He grinned from ear to ear after hearing her response.

"I know I can."

A/N : PHEWWWW. I finally finished this chapter. You have no idea how long this doc has been sitting in my computer Lmao idk I lost inspiration for this story. I was just scrolling through an AU blog and that's how this fanfic was born. I'll definitely still continue it but I've been busy. I also plan on publishing maybe 2-3 other ML fics. All AU's of course bc I'm a garbage can lol

So tell me which one y'all would be most interested in. Imma tell y'all right now, I'm more interested in 1 & 3 but I'll let y'all decide bc why not? (:

1) AU where Marinette attends the best culinary school in the country (or world) and aims to be number 1. (Actually the second best culinary school is like 20 mins away from my college, so the setting will be New York, again lol. Even the #1 school is in NY so it doesn't really matter)

2) AU where the Purge becomes a thing while Mari and Adrien are in college so they both team up as Ladybug and Chat Noir to protect citizens and beat up ppl who try to murder instead of like steal clothes and food

3) Or a Dangan Ronpa AU where Marinette wakes up, trapped in a school with other students where its kill or be killed. Each time a person is killed a class trial is held to determine who the murderer is by popular vote. If the murderer IS NOT voted for, everyone else is executed and the killer gets to go home. If the murderer IS voted for then they get executed.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, CIAO CIAO!


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